Cold weld

ABSTRACT

A cold weld is formed in a multilayer material. A first pin is coupled to a first block. A second pin is coupled to a second block. The multilayer material is disposed between the first pin and the second pin. The first pin opposes the second pin. The multilayer material is held in the XY plane and floats in the Z axis.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No.11/215,100 filed on Aug. 30, 2005.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to formation of a weld. Morespecifically, the present invention relates to formation of a cold weldfor capacitors.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Numerous devices rely on capacitors to charge an electronic component.Capacitors include a cathode subassembly and an anode subassembly.Stacked or interleaved anode subassemblies are typically constructed byaligning multiple anode foil plates within an alignment area located ina material holding block. The material holding block then secures themultiple anode foil plates within an XYZ plane while the plates undergocompression deformation to form a cold weld. A cold weld electricallyand mechanically connects the multiple anode foil plates.

Compressive deformation typically involves two opposing hardened coldweld pins that apply load to a region in the multiple plates. Up to twopercent of the cold welds are less than optimal due to unevendeformation. For example, such a cold weld may be unevenly deformedalong the Z axis. Uneven deformation may compromise mechanical andelectrical strength of the weld. It is therefore desirable to overcomelimitations associated with conventional cold welding processes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will become more fully understood from thedetailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1A is a block diagram of an exemplary cold weld system;

FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view of an exemplary cold weld system;

FIG. 2 is a partial top perspective view of a block configured to alignmultiple layers of a material;

FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view of stacked material;

FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view of an exemplary cold weld in amultilayered material;

FIG. 3C is a cross-sectional view of another exemplary cold weld inmultilayered material;

FIG. 4A-4B are partial top perspective views of a cold weld fixture;

FIGS. 5A-5J are perspective views of a cold weld system that utilizes areconstructed for automation cold weld fixture depicted in FIGS. 4A-4B;

FIG. 6A-6B are top perspective views of yet another cold weld fixture;and

FIG. 7 is a flow diagram of a method to form a cold weld.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is in no wayintended to limit the invention, its application, or uses. For purposesof clarity, similar reference numbers are used in the drawings toidentify similar elements. As used herein, the term “module” refers toan application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), an electroniccircuit, a processor (shared, dedicated, or group) and memory thatexecute one or more software or firmware programs, a combinational logiccircuit, or other suitable components that provide the describedfunctionality.

The present invention is directed to formation of a cold weld in amultilayered material. A cold weld fixture is configured to secure thematerial in an XY plane but the material is unsecured along a Z axis. Acold weld is then formed in a portion of the material by compression.This process eliminates or significantly reduces less than optimal coldweld characteristics, such as weakened mechanical and electricalcharacteristics.

FIGS. 1A-1B depict a cold weld system 10 that forms one or more coldwelds in a multilayered material. Cold weld system 10 includes a coldweld fixture 11, a control module 13, and a press 15. Cold weld fixture11 fixes a multilayered material 30 in a XY plane while allowingmaterial 30 to float along a Z axis during a cold weld operation. Coldweld fixture 11 includes a first block 12 a, a second block 12 b, afirst pin 18 a(e.g. a cold weld pin), a second pin 18 b, and amultilayered material 30. First block 12 a fixes multilayer material 30(e.g. multiple anode foil plates etc.) in a XY plane. FIG. 2, forexample, shows multilayer material 30 seated in alignment region 17 offirst block 12 a. Alignment region 17 is shaped by a plurality of pins21 to correspond to the shape of multilayer material 30. Skilledartisans appreciate that numerous other means can be used to stack andalign multiple anode foil plates. An example of another stacking methodmay be seen with respect to U.S. Pat. No. 6,009,348 issued Dec. 28,1999, and assigned to the assignee of the present invention, thedisclosure of which is incorporated by reference, in relevant parts.Once the multiple layers of material 30 are properly aligned, material30, disposed in first block 12 a, may move along the Z axis. Material 30generally moves in a manner similar to a diving board for a swimmingpool.

Once material 30 is properly seated in alignment region 17 of firstblock 12 a, control module 13 signals press 15 over a conductive line orwireless means. In response, press 15 pushes slidable post 26 to engageproximal end 24 b of second pin 18 b. Second pin 18 b is comprised of ahardened material (e.g. steel etc.) formed in a cylindrical shape orother suitable shape. A distal end 19 b of second pin 18 b contacts aregion of a second surface 32 b of multilayered material 30 at apressure of about 17 kilopounds per square inch (kpsi) to about 120kpsi. An exemplary multilayered material 30, depicted in FIG. 3A,comprises more than one layer of metal and/or alloy (e.g. aluminum,etched and formed anode foil, etc.). After compression force is appliedto second surface 32 b, first surface 32 a of material 30 contactsdistal end 19 a of first pin 18 a. In one embodiment, first surface 32 ais forced onto a distal end 19 a of first pin 18 a by compression forcefrom second pin 18 b. Distal end 19 a is fixed in position by proximalend 24 a of second pin 18 a being securely held in a stationary positionby first block 12 a. In another embodiment, first block 12 a includes apress (not shown) that pushes a slidable post (not shown) to engagefirst pin 18 a and forces first pin 18 a into first surface 32 a.

Substantially even deformation of multilayered material 30 of cold welds38 a, 38 b, is depicted in FIGS. 3B-3C. Even deformation is generallycreated by a process in which a pin presses into a surface of thematerial until material characteristics makes it easier for the otherpin to press into the other surface of material 30. For example, whilesecond pin 18 b presses into second surface 32 b, multilayered material30 begins to deform layers 36 a-b. At about the same time, first surface32 a of multilayered material 30 is forced onto first pin 18 a, whichcauses deformation in layers 36 d-e. Layer 36 c is deformed by pressureapplied by first pin 18 a, second pin 18 b, or both first and secondpins 18 a, 18 b. Cold welds 38 a, 38 b include layers 36 a-b that areabout evenly deformed along the Z axis compared to layers 36 d-e. Byfixing multilayer material 30 in the XY plane and allowing it to floatin the Z axis, this process produces higher quality welds andconsistently eliminates undesirable characteristics associated with somecold welds. Cold welds 38 a, 38 b, for example, are centered and theoriginal columnous structure of layers 36 a-e substantially remainsintact. In contrast, a less than optimal cold weld exhibits mixedmaterial layers where the stacking effect of the original columnousstructure has not been used beneficially and may not possess optimalcharacteristics of cold welds 38 a, 38 b. Additionally, the mechanicaland electrical strength of cold welds 38 a, 38 b formed by this processresists significant load. Cold welds 38 a, 38 b are also able to passabout 7 ampere of current within about 6 milliseconds or less. Coldwelds 38 a, 38 b also are able to withstand at least 0.6 to about 3.0pounds of force according to a standard pull test without affectingelectrical or mechanical properties associated cold welds 38 a, 38 b.One standard pull-separator test is referred to as the normal pullseparator test where normal relates to the angle and the plane. Thistest is also referred to as the pull to failure test.

FIGS. 4A-4B depict another embodiment of an exemplary cold weld fixture100 for forming a cold weld in material 30. Cold weld fixture 100includes a cantilever 104, a first clamp 105, and a second clamp 108.First clamp 105 is coupled to a proximal end 107 a and second clamp 108is coupled to a distal end 107 b of cantilever 104. First clamp 105fixes cantilever 104 to the ground via a fixed and rigid base (notshown). First clamp 105 includes anvil 111 and securing block 115. Anvil111 remains stationary during formation of a cold weld. Securing block115, coupled to anvil 111 via connectors 130 a, 130 b, clamps anvil 111onto cantilever 104.

Second clamp 108 couples second block 112 to cantilever 104. Secondclamp 108 includes first block 110, stack load frame 116, stack loadconnector 114, preloading hinge assembly 215, and connector 125. Firstblock 110 and second block 112 are aligned through a plurality ofalignments posts 114C. Preloading hinge assembly 215 supports firstblock 110, second block 112, and stack load frame 116. Preloading hingeassembly 215 includes rod 218 and hinge 221. Rod 218, inserted throughholes 220 a and 220 b of hinge 221, rests against recessed region 119disposed in hinge 221. Stack load frame 116 is connected to first block110 via stack load connector 114. Connector 125 is coupled to stack loadframe 116 and to second block 112 to ensure stability of second block112. In this embodiment, material 30 is securely held in the XY plane bycold weld fixture 100 while material 30 floats in the Z axis.

FIGS. 5A-5J illustrate a method to operate a cold weld system 200utilizing cold weld fixture 100 depicted in FIGS. 4A-4B. Certainfeatures are not described to avoid obscuring the claimed invention.Cold weld system 200 includes cold weld fixture 100, control module 13,press 15, lift 202, fingers 206, and product clamp 211. Multilayeredmaterial 30 is stack loaded via stack load frame 116, as previouslydescribed. First block 110 of cold weld fixture 100 is positioned over alift 202 through, for example, a conveyor belt (not shown). A distal end117 of cantilever 104 moves from a back to a front position along a Yaxis in order to load first block 110, as shown in FIG. 5B. Referring toFIG. 5C, lift 202 is activated. Activating lift 202 causes lift 202 tocontact and to move first block 110 to cantilever 104. First and secondblocks 110, 112 are also automatically aligned during activation of lift202. Referring to FIG. 5D, fingers 206 are engaged to recessed region203 (shown in FIG. 5C) of first block 110. As illustrated in FIG. 5E,product clamp 211 is engaged and contacts second block 210. FIG. 5Fdepicts retraction of lift 202. Clamps 206 are engaged. These actionscause first block 110 to clamp to cantilever 104. FIG. 5G shows firstblock 110 positioned to perform a cold weld operation. FIG. 5Iillustrates anvil 111 in a raised position. Second pin 18 b contacts anarea on top of first surface 36 a of material 30. Actuation of press 15causes at least one of pins 18 a, 18 b to press into a region ofmultilayered material 30. Material 30 presses into the other pin 18 a,18 b thereby forming a cold weld. FIG. 5J depicts press 15 and anvil 111in retracted positions after formation of at least one cold weld.

FIGS. 6A-6B depict yet another embodiment of cold weld fixture 300configured to form cold weld 38 while material 30 is fixed in the XYplane but floats along the Z axis. Cold weld fixture 300 includes firstand second weld blocks 310, 312, stack load frame 316, preload assembly318, mounting arm 320, and counter weight 330. Preload assembly 318includes hinge 321 and rod 342.

Cold weld fixture 300 may be assembled in many ways. Material 30 isstacked into an alignment region (not shown) of first block 310. Counterweight 330, which includes a threaded rod 332, is screwed into firstblock 310. Stack load cell, configured to determine the preload weight(e.g. product clamp load etc.), is inserted into recessed region 350.The preload weight ranges from about 25 to about 400 pounds. Hinge 321is coupled to first and second blocks 310, 312, and stack load frame316. Stack load connector 340 is initially loosely connected to stackload frame 316. Rod 342 is then slid into holes 220 a, 220 b. Mountingarm 320 is coupled to lower block 310 via connector 316. Hinge plate 326is connected to lower plate 310 via a plurality of connectors 332, 334,336. Stack load connector 340 is then tightly screwed down to stack loadframe 316 until an appropriate preload weight is attained as indicatedby stack load cell 348. An appropriate preload weight is determined tominimize or eliminate a volcanic edge that may appear around a less thanoptimal cold weld. Cold weld fixture 300 is then coupled to an anvil,fixed to the ground, which ensures cold weld fixture 300 is in astationary position. Additionally, cold weld fixture 300 is also coupledto press 15 and optionally connected to control module 13. While coldweld fixture 300 is considered rigid, counter weight 330 is able topivot about connector 332. Press 15 applies pressure to second block312, which in turn forces second pin 18 b into second surface 32 b ofmaterial 30. While second pin 18 b presses into second surface 32 b,counter weight 330 pivots about connector 332, thereby causing first pin18 a, held in a stationary position by first block 310, to press intofirst surface 32 a of material 30. Skilled artisans understand that thecharacteristics of multilayer material 30 governs the manner in whichcounter weight 330 pivots about connector 332.

FIG. 7 is a flow diagram of a method to form a cold weld in amultilayered material. At block 400, a material is secured in a XYplane. For example, the material may be clamped in a block that holdsthe material in a XY plane. At block 410, the material is allowed tofloat in the Z axis. At block 420, a cold weld is formed in themultilayered material. Cold welds 38 a, 38 b are formed from about nodwell time to about several seconds.

Skilled artisans appreciate that there are numerous apparatuses ormodification to the apparatuses to implement the claimed process. Forexample, the cold weld fixtures may be configured to secure the materialalong a different plane (e.g. YZ plane) and allow the material to floatalong a different axis during a cold welding process. Moreover, thedescription of the preload weight relative to cold weld fixture 300 isoptionally applied to any other embodiment presented herein.Additionally, while the present invention is described as an automaticprocess, it may also be implemented manually or semi-automatically.Furthermore, while the invention is described relative to a capacitor,the principles of the invention may be applied to other electrochemicalcells. For example, cold welding may be used with batteries.

The description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and,thus, variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention areintended to be within the scope of the invention. Such variations arenot to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of theinvention.

1. A method of forming a cold weld in a material including more than twolayers, wherein the method comprises: securing all of the layers of thematerial using a clamp comprising a first block and a second block,wherein the first block is configured to securely hold the layers of thematerial in a XY plane; and forming a cold weld between all of thelayers of the material by compressing a portion of the material securedbetween the first block and the second block while allowing the layersof material to float along a Z-axis and fixing the material position inthe XY plane.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the material is securedto a cantilever.
 3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:maintaining substantially columnous structure within multiple layers ofthe material while forming a cold weld.
 4. The method of claim 1,wherein the cold weld possesses electrical strength of about 7 amperefor about 6 milliseconds.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the coldweld possesses mechanical strength of about 0.6 pounds-force to about 3pounds-force.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein forming the cold weldfurther comprises moving the material along the Z axis while compressingthe portion of the material.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein thestructure used to fix the material position in the XY plane comprises analignment region shaped by a plurality of pins.
 8. The method of claim1, wherein the structure used to fix the material position in the XYplane comprises an alignment region provided in a block.
 9. The methodof claim 1, wherein the material comprises a stack of metal and/or metalalloy foil plates.
 10. A method comprising: providing a material havinga first surface and a second surface with a first layer and a secondlayer associated therewith; securing the first layer and the secondlayer of the material in a clamp comprising a first block and a secondblock, wherein the first block is configured to securely hold the layerof the material in a XY plane; applying a first pressure at a firstpoint on the first surface by a first pin; applying a second pressure ata second point on the second surface by a second pin; and deforming aportion of the material between the first and the second point bycompressing the portion of the material between the first point and thesecond point to form a cold weld between the first layer and the secondlayer while allowing the first layer and the second layer to float alonga Z-axis.
 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the deformed materialbetween the first and the second points possesses mechanical strength ofabout 0.6 pounds-force to about 3 pounds-force.
 12. The method of claim10, wherein the deformed material between the first and the secondpoints possesses electrical strength of about 7 ampere for about 6milliseconds.
 13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:eliminating an undesirable deformation characteristic along a Z axis fora cold weld.
 14. The method of claim 10, wherein the material movesalong the Z axis but not in the XY plane during the deforming.
 15. Themethod of claim 10, wherein the material comprises more than two layers.16. A method comprising: configuring a clamp comprising a first blockand a second block to secure a multilayered material along a first axisand a second axis while allowing the multilayered material to floatalong a third axis; securing the multilayered material in a planedefined by the first axis and the second axis; floating the materialalong the third axis while the material is secured in the plane definedby the first and second axis; and forming a cold weld in a portion ofthe multilayered material while securing the multilayered material inthe plane defined by the first and the second axis and floating thematerial along the third axis.
 17. The method of claim 16, whereinforming the cold weld further comprises compressing the portion of themultilayered material along the third axis while securing all layers ofthe multilayered material in the plane defined by the first axis and thesecond axis and floating the material along the third axis.
 18. Themethod of claim 16, wherein the multilayered material comprises a stackof metal and/or metal alloy foil plates.
 19. The method of claim 16,wherein the first axis, the second axis, and the third axis are mutuallyorthogonal to each other.
 20. The method of claim 16, wherein themultilayered material comprises more than two layers.
 21. A method offorming a cold weld, the method comprising: aligning multiple layers ofmaterial in a clamp comprising a first block and a second block, whereinthe first block is configured to securely hold the layer of the materialin an XY plane to form a stack; compressing a portion of the stack for adwell time while fixing a position of the multiple layers of material inthe XY plane to form a cold weld between the multiple layers; andwherein the stack is allowed to float along a Z axis during the dwelltime.
 22. A method according to claim 21, wherein the multiple layers ofmaterial comprises multiple metal and/or metal alloy foil plates.
 23. Amethod according to claim 21, wherein the stack is positioned proximatea distal end of a cantilever during the compressing.
 24. A methodaccording to claim 21, wherein the stack is located in an alignmentregion provided in a block during the compressing.
 25. A methodaccording to claim 21, wherein the stack is located in an alignmentregion shaped by a plurality of pins during the compressing.
 26. Themethod of claim 21, wherein the multiple layers of material comprisemore than two layers.